A Tower of Giraffes: Animals in Groups

Have you herd about this book?

A Tower of Giraffes: Animals in Groups by Anna Wright was just too gorgeous for me not to review! This book explores social groups of animals and the (often) silly words we use to describe them. It's a beautiful book to supplement a unit on animals or discuss the concept of collective nouns. Plus, it lends itself well to a fun, follow-up art activity!

The gist:

A Tower of Giraffes: Animals in Groups details collective nouns used to describe groups of animals. The book highlights the unique words that we use, like "a parcel of penguins" or a "prickle of hedgehogs." It talks about the various social needs of animals and provides some more information on their lives and routines.  This book can be used as a fun supplement to a unit on animals or to explore the concept of collective nouns.

My favorite part:

It's gorgeous. As a lover of interior design and fabrics, Anna Wright often brings a unique style into her books. This book is no different. The bodies of the animals are decorated with watercolors, fabric and feathers, creating an array of stunning textures and patterns. One of my personal favorites is the flock of sheep, which are decorated with various patterns of knit yarn! How clever is that?

What you can do:

This book can be worked into a larger unit on animals and can easily be followed by a fun art activity where students make collages! I think it would be a blast to have students draw their own group of animals, whether it be a "herd of elephants" or a "romp of otters," and then decorate them with various materials (fabric, yarn, feathers, even magazine clippings). Fabric stores typically sell scraps cheaply, so it'd be easy to pick up a few patterns with various textures for students to use. An activity like this would allow students to be incredibly creative and surely be lots of fun! 

Reading is Fundamental provides some great suggestions on what to do with your students when reading this book, including discussion questions and follow up STEM activities. Click here to visit their website and see what resources they provide.

Love this book and want more? Here's another book worth checking out! Though I haven't read An Ambush of Tigers: A Wild Gathering of Collective Nouns by Betsy Rosenthal, it sounds very engaging. Similar to A Tower of Giraffes: Animals in Groups, it explores the wacky words we use to describe groups of animals. However, this book uses rhymes and humorous illustrations to catch readers' attention and has gotten great reviews from students and teachers alike. I'll definitely be adding it to my list of books to read!

Happy Reading!